Ghent-based FoodTech startup Those Vegan Cowboys has secured €6.25 million in its first funding spherical to speed up the event of its cow-free casein, an important dairy protein made utilizing precision fermentation – with plans to launch a crowdfunding marketing campaign within the coming months.
The funding spherical was led by Pieter Geelen, co-founder of navigation big TomTom, and included contributions from Westland Kaas, the Dutch cheese producer behind Outdated Amsterdam, and Wouter Veenboer, co-founder of the advert automation platform ProductHero. The capital will safe the startup’s operations for the subsequent two years, because it edges nearer to regulatory clearance in the USA and ramps up for commercialisation.
CEO Hille van der Kaa emphasises the importance of the funding: “That is the place sustainability, expertise and trade come collectively. Our companions recognise that animal-free casein is now not a distant imaginative and prescient, however prepared for industrial utility. This funding permits us to maneuver from improvement to market entry.”
This 12 months has proven continued funding exercise throughout precision fermentation and adjoining FoodTech segments, offering context for the €6.25 million first spherical raised by These Vegan Cowboys.
Latest examples embrace PFx Biotech, a Porto-based startup that secured €2.5 million to develop allergy-free human milk proteins utilizing precision fermentation, and SUMM Ingredients from Copenhagen, which raised €1.7 million to speed up the industrial rollout of its fermented protein ingredient for meals producers. At a later stage, Revyve, primarily based within the Netherlands, closed a €24 million Collection B to scale yeast-based proteins designed to switch eggs and components in mainstream meals merchandise.
EU-Startups has additionally reported on Fungu’it, which raised €4 million to develop fungi-based pure flavourings, and EvodiaBio, a Copenhagen-based firm that secured €6 million to scale fermentation-driven flavour applied sciences for industrial functions.
Collectively, these 2025 rounds signify roughly €38 million invested into fermentation-led and intently associated FoodTech innovation, earlier than together with These Vegan Cowboys’ personal financing.
The info factors to sustained capital allocation throughout neighbouring European markets, notably in different proteins, purposeful substances, and fermentation-enabled meals applied sciences.
Frank Fischer, CFO of Westland Kaas provides: “As Westland Kaas, we’ve got at all times mixed custom with expertise. We proceed to put money into innovation to reinvent cheese for future generations. Our funding in These Vegan Cowboys displays our dedication to open innovation and next-generation meals applied sciences.”
These Vegan Cowboys was based in 2020 by former The Vegetarian Butcher founders Jaap Korteweg and Niko Koffeman. The corporate’s innovation lies in producing casein – the important thing protein in conventional dairy – utilizing microbes as a substitute of cows. This permits the manufacturing of cheese that’s bioidentical to its dairy counterpart however fully animal-free.
The startup is already working with ten industrial companions throughout Europe on varied functions for its cow-free casein, from melting mozzarella alternate options to semi-hard cheeses. It beforehand teamed up with investor Westland Kaas to launch the plant-based cheese model WildWestLand, a nod to the corporate’s quirky cowboy-themed branding and a primary step towards mainstream recognition.
The corporate is now getting ready to open up its mission to the general public by way of a crowdfunding marketing campaign – doubtless the primary of its type within the precision fermentation dairy house. This initiative goals not solely to boost extra funds but additionally to foster model consciousness and shopper buy-in.
Tastings of their cheese prototypes are deliberate for 2026 within the Netherlands, giving early backers an opportunity to expertise the outcomes first-hand.
Investor Wouter Veenboer additionally highlighted the rising urgency for sustainable alternate options: “This has the potential to be a significant breakthrough. As livestock farming continues to industrialise, the necessity to relieve the dependency on animals turns into extra pressing. Cheese is likely one of the merchandise shoppers miss most once they cut back dairy. I’m excited to assist make this imaginative and prescient a actuality.”
